Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a question the Deputy and others have raised on a number of occasions on the floor of the Dáil. Following the Covid crisis, we are now living in a different environment in which the amount and type of office accommodation in different parts of the country has changed, as has the usage of space. It is always far easier to manipulate buildings ourselves than it is to ask a landlord to manipulate them for us. Rather than incurring costs, we can, in many cases, absorb them by direct labour. With regard to the particular building the Deputy has asked about previously, I hope to be in a position early in the new year to be able to give further details. She will accept my position in regard to the commercial sensitivities of the transaction.

In general, every building is different. As State agencies or individual Departments come forward to the Office of Public Works on foot of a Government decision requiring office accommodation, the first thing we do is look within our own portfolio to see whether we have anything that will meet the requirements. Thereafter, we will test the market not only in the capital but in other locations as well, depending, for instance, on whether there is already a history of decentralised offices for particular agencies. It is fair to say that each case is different. We use both our own resources, in terms of valuations, and external resources to make sure we are getting the best possible deal for the taxpayer. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, there is an opportunity at this time, with a good climate for office accommodation to be acquired by the State. Acquisitions are done on a case-by-case basis and, as I said, each case is different.